Hello!

Here it is, chapter seven! I will warn you here that there is a large mention of child abuse in this chapter as Thenardiar returns for his son.

I hope you enjoy this chapter with all its drama included.

Although Gavroche visited the café often to Courfeyrac and Eponine, he did not want to depend on them for everything. Especially if it was something that he could do easily for himself. From the years living on the streets, he had found ways to get what he needed. Sadly, his techniques were not always honest. He would pick pockets in the crowded market and wait until someone's back was turned before stealing from their baskets. He knew it was wrong, and it was not something that he enjoyed but it had to be done to survive. He never stole from people who were poor like him, only from the rich who could easily afford to give money away.

As he left the bakery with a recently purchased warm loaf of bread tucked under his arm, the young gamin didn't see the shadowy figure watching him from down the alley. He walked past the figure, humming to himself. The figure had been watching the boy for days, ever since he had found him there. As Gavroche passed, the figure allowed a dark and evil smirk to spread across his thin chapped lips. "My my, what a little thief you have become boy" he whispered. "My little street rat"

They were everywhere; members of the patron-minette, watching Gavroche go about every day. The little boy would steal to buy food for his friends then eat very little of the food himself. He would run around the streets ducking and diving through crowds, as if everyone was going to bow down to the boy, with a gang of children following behind him. And he wore a cockade, the sign of the revolutionaries. From spending days following the boy, the leader of the patron-minette himself, the shadowy figure of the alley, had developed a sinister plan. The point of having children was not to love them and dote upon them; it was to use them to your own advantage.

"Come on boys" Gavroche shouted, looking over his shoulder as he ran with Frederick, Nicolas and Jean-Pierre following behind him. After all, he was the fastest gamin on the streets. Many a race had proven that. The four boys ran into the market, splitting up to search for food. Gavroche hung back and crept behind the market stalls, searching the rich passer-by's quickly. His small slight frame meant he went unnoticed. He took a few coins from an elderly gentleman's pocket before running down the alley to hide and count his findings. As he crouched against the wall, a figure passed him slowly, dressed in finery, with many money notes in his back pocket along with a fine golden chain.

Unable to resist the temptation, Gavroche silently followed the man down the alley, watching him. He wore over the top clothing and his wiry greying hair was stuffed into a top hat. With a cheeky smile, Gavroche reached forwards and grabbed the chain, sliding it out of the pocket. As he turned on his heel to run away, a cold rough hand grasped over the child's mouth and an arm encircled his waist. Attempting to scream, Gavroche kicked and squirmed with no avail. The man's grip was too strong. "Stay still street rat" the man said as he carried Gavroche into a tiny run down building and threw him to the ground.

The gamin had not recognised the voice, but as he saw his kidnapper clearly for the first time he screamed. "Papa!" He cried, all the memories of his early childhood coming running back "Para no!"

Thenardiar towered over his son as he laughed at the boy's evident fear. He had never liked the boy. He had been a weak and sickly baby, therefore was expensive to care for. When they had come to Paris, he thought the boy to be worthless and useless. He needed a strong young man not a whiny frail boy. "Now, now, now boy, you afraid of me? You're right to me!" He snapped. "Listen to me and listen good" He kicked Gavroche's stomach, sending him crumbling to the floor with a cry. "I see you are now a good chief, you'd be useful to me now boy". He knelt behind the crying boy, holding him to the found as he hit his face repeatedly.

"Papa please!" Gavroche wailed using all his strength to try and get away. "Let me go! Papa!" As he felt his nose crack under the force of the powerful punch, he gave another earth shattering scream.

"Shut up boy!" Thenardiar hissed removing his belt. "A child who cries gets lashes boy". He watched the street urchin carefully as the child sobbed and curled up small. Blood poured down from his broken nose, trickling into his mouth and mixing with his tears. "Weak child, no member of the patron-minette, but a worthy thief" He said smacking the belt against Gavroche's back and laughing as the buckle met with skin with a sickening crack.

The pain was too much for such a small child to handle and Gavroche was struggling to stay conscious. He prayed for his boys to find him and get help. He wanted Eponine. He wanted Courfeyrac. "Papa!" He screamed using what was left of his energy. "Papa, please no! Help!" With a final kick to the stomach and a punch to the head, Gavroche closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall unconscious. The room fell silent as Thenardiar stared at the motionless child and smiled to himself.

Frederick, the youngest of Gavroche's group, had grown bored of searching for food so had instead set out to search for Gavroche. He ran through the market, ducking under the stalls towards the alley where he knew Gavroche normally hid. The five year old idolised the older boy and wanted to be like him, strong and seemingly fearless. As Frederick ran down the alley, he heard screaming. "Gavroche?" He squeaked knowing the voice. He could hear the shouts of pain of their leader and paled at the word 'Papa'.

The little boy ran back into the market, grabbing Nicolas and Jean-Pierre. All three knew about Gavroche's past and could only assume Monsieur Thenardiar was trouble. "What can we do to save him?" Nicolas said in a panicky tone. "He could rough us up too"

Jean-Pierre, the eldest of the group other than Gavroche, grabbed onto the two younger boys hands and started running with them. "Gavroche said go to the musain if we need anything and we need help" He panted as they ran. Reaching the café, they bounded up the stairs and crashed into the main room, all red faced and out of breath. "Gavroche…Trouble…Screaming…Help"

Courfeyrac knew them as Gavroche's boys as soon as he saw them, Frederick was still wearing Gavroche's cap. "Take a breath boys and slow down, what happened to Gavroche?" He said going to the boys "Where is he?"

Frederick stepped forward. "I was lookin' for him, an' I heard screaming, an' shouting. I know it was Gavroche. It was comin' from some slum house down the alley" He said. "I heard…I heard him say Papa no!"

Eponine gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. "Oh Gavroche!" She breathed, her eyes wide with fear. She rushed to the boy's side and grabbed Courfeyrac's arm. "We have to find him…Save him Monsieur, my papa is a dangerous man, he will kill him!"

Courfeyrac put a supportive hand on her back, steadying her in her panic. "I am going to save him, don't worry Eponine" he said calmly, despite the feeling of fear for his friend filling him. He nodded to himself, picking up a small pistol from the side of the room. He was willing to do anything to save Gavroche. "Show me the way boys, show me the way then go to the elephant to be safe". The three young boys nodded rapidly, turning to leave with him as little Frederick took Courfeyrac's hand for reassurance.

"I'll come with you Courfeyrac" Eponine said moving to follow him. "He's my papa too, he can attack me if he wants to then you can get Gavroche out of there"

"No 'Ponine, let Fey handle it" Marius said holding her back.

"I won't allow it Eponine, stay here with Pontmercy" Courfeyrac agreed. "I don't want you hurt too"

Eponine wiped her eyes, looking around at everybody. "Someone go with him, he will be no match for my papa alone"

Enjolras stood first, followed by Combeferre, both picking up pistols also. With a nod to Eponine and without a word, they followed Courfeyrac and the boys. The gamins led the way to the run down house down the alley. "Merci boys, you are brave and loyal" Enjolras told them "Now go and stay away, stay safe"

Once the boys had left them, the chief, the centre and the guide silently approached the house with pistols loaded. Courfeyrac bit on his lip as they heard crying from the other side of the door. It was Gavroche, he knew it was. He had to stop himself from shouting to let the boy know that they were there to save him.

And there will go… Chapter seven complete. I hope you all enjoyed it

Please review, I love them so much

Ill update soon.